Angels' Trout, Weaver could make MLB history

Aug. 27, 2012

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

1 of 1

No team has ever swept the Rookie of the Year, MVP and Cy Young awards in the same season. But Angels phenom Mike Trout, right, has the ROY locked up and is the MVP frontrunner in many eyes heading toward September. Angels ace Jered Weaver, left, held favored status in the Cy Young race for awhile but is now just one worthy contender in a crowded field. WIRE PHOTOS

No team has ever swept the Rookie of the Year, MVP and Cy Young awards in the same season. But Angels phenom Mike Trout, right, has the ROY locked up and is the MVP frontrunner in many eyes heading toward September. Angels ace Jered Weaver, left, held favored status in the Cy Young race for awhile but is now just one worthy contender in a crowded field. WIRE PHOTOS

It is campaign season – but there are no super PACs, stump speeches or whistle-stop tours.

With a little more than a month left in the regular season, the candidates are making their cases for baseball's major awards and the Angels have a chance to pull off an unprecedented triple.

No team has ever swept the Rookie of the Year, MVP and Cy Young awards in the same season. But Angels phenom Mike Trout has the ROY locked up and is the MVP frontrunner in many eyes heading toward September. Angels ace Jered Weaver held favored status in the Cy Young race for awhile but is now just one worthy contender in a crowded field.

"It'd be great," Weaver said of being part of a historic awards sweep this fall. "But I think I kind of screwed that up with those nine runs I gave up."

Weaver's equivalent of a campaign gaffe was that start against the Rays 10 days ago in which he allowed a career-high nine runs in just three innings. But it hardly takes him out of the running in five-way race with the incumbent, Tigers ace Justin Verlander, Rays left-hander David Price, Felix Hernandez of the Mariners and White Sox left-hander Chris Sale.

Those five pitchers dominate the pitching leaderboard, swapping position based on your statistic of choice.

ERA? Hernandez took over the lead at 2.43 with his major-league-leading fourth shutout Monday. Verlander is second (2.50) followed by Price (2.53), Sale (2.65) and Weaver (2.74).

WHIP? Weaver's is the lowest (0.98 even with that horrific start against the Rays) with Verlander (1.00), Sale (1.03), Hernandez (1.03) and Price jostling for position right behind him.

How about batting average against? Verlander has been the toughest to hit by this measure (.206) followed by Weaver (.207), Sale, Hernandez and Price.

Or OPS against (on-base plus slugging percentage)? Verlander, Weaver and Hernandez are bunched together within three points.

If you like your statistics a little more 'old-school' – Weaver has a chance to become baseball's first 17-game winner when he takes the mound for the Angels Tuesday night against the Red Sox. Price is stuck on 16 wins after losing to the Rangers Monday.

The Cy campaign even comes with its own series of debates. The five contenders could face off head-to-head as many as five times down the stretch including possible showdowns between Weaver and Verlander Sept. 7 or 8 in Anaheim, Weaver and Sale Sept. 23 in Anaheim and Weaver and Hernandez on the final day of the regular season in Seattle.

TWO-MAN RACE

The MVP race, meanwhile, looks like a two-party race between Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera and Trout, who would be only the third player in major eague history to win both the Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season, joining Fred Lynn in 1975 and Ichiro Suzuki in 2001.

"Absolutely, no doubt," Weaver said when asked if he thought Trout deserved that double. "Cabrera is a great player. But there's not many times a young player comes in and takes the league by storm like Trout has."

Trout, 21 just three weeks now, leads the AL in batting (.337), runs scored (100), stolen bases (41) and OPS (.986), slipping just a tick behind Cabrera in slugging percentage (.586-.585). Cabrera leads in no major category other than slugging percentage.

The case for Trout bursts from left-hander C.J. Wilson in a steady stream.

"You factor in Mike's production — he leads the league in speed (steals and runs scored) — the value of having that player at the top of your lineup with the number of runs he manufactures for us plus the defense he plays at a premium position — he literally takes runs away, he goes over the fence and takes runs away," Wilson said. "Look at the impact he's had on Torii (Hunter). Torii's having a great year batting behind him. Put all those things together, you have to say he's the MVP. For me, he's gotta be the guy.

"From an objective standpoint, you could make a case for Cabrera. He's having a great year. Nothing taken away from Miguel Cabrera. But he's doing it batting in front of Prince Fielder, a very similar hitter. ... Put it this way – take Trout away from our team and take Cabrera away from their team. What happens to both teams?"

What does happen to their respective teams could go a long way toward determining who wins the MVP award. Neither Trout's Angels nor Cabrera's Tigers are currently in position to make the post-season. The American League hasn't had an MVP from a non-playoff team since Alex Rodriguez with the Rangers in 2003 and only three in the past 22 years. It has happened a little more often in the National League – six times in the past 22 years (including Barry Bonds three times), most recently by Albert Pujols with the Cardinals in 2008.

If Cabrera or Trout leads his team on a run into the playoffs over the next five weeks (while the other's team falters), it could separate the two candidates in the eyes of some voters.

"I don't know what voters think," said Pujols who won three MVPs in the National League (2005, 2008 and 2009) and finished second four times (2002, 2003, 2006 and 2010). "The years I won my MVPs, I wasn't even expecting it. The year I thought I had my best year in 2006, we won the World Series and they gave it (the regular-season MVP) to Ryan Howard (whose Phillies did not make the playoffs).

"Two years later, we didn't make the playoffs and I won it. So I don't know what the voters are thinking."

CABRERA CHAMPION

Cabrera's manager, Jim Leyland, said in a recent radio interview that he feared his player might not get due consideration because Trout has gathered so much attention "as one of these Wonderboy stories." Over last weekend with the Angels in Detroit, Leyland would not be drawn into debate over the merits of Trout or Cabrera, balancing his praise for Cabrera's production year after year with admiration for Trout as "obviously someone really special."

"It might be a little exaggeration because it's a different type of admiration or interest. But this is a Mark Fidrych-type thing," Leyland said. "Here's this young kid and everybody's paying attention to him. It's great for the game."

Mark 'The Bird' Fidrych was a one-year phenom who won the AL Rookie of the Year with a dreadful Tigers team in 1976 before flaming out quickly. Pujols sees more staying power – and awards – in Trout's future.

"Let this kid play for 15 years and watch him go into the Hall of Fame," Pujols said, headed there himself. "We can't read the future. He has to stay healthy and focused. But he has the potential of winning many MVPs."

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.